During November 2018, Putnam County Sheriff Robert L. Langley Jr. received a letter via in the mail which threatened to harm him and commit criminal offenses against his family. This was the second threatening letter Sheriff Langley and his family received within the past year, officials say.

A few weeks later, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Cold Spring Police Department regarding a similar incident. Multiple letters were received by the Cold Spring Court which contained concerning and threatening language, including death threats, to Cold Spring Village Judge Thomas Costello and Cold Spring Police Officer Edward Boulanger, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

During a joint investigation between both departments, authorities say they realized Eugene Vitello, 46, of the Bronx was arrested by Boulanger in 2013 for stalking and harassing a Cold Spring business owner and Sheriff Langley, who was a retired police officer at the time, witnessed the incident which was later adjudicated in front of Judge Costello.

Recently, police traveled to the Bronx to interview Vitello who was then arrested without incident. He was charged with several counts of aggravated harassment and stalking.